The science-backed 'miracle' foods with anti-aging powers that fight wrinkles and sagging... and cost as little as $2
The modern quest for youthful skin is more prominent than ever.
And people are increasingly turning to unconventional beauty methods to ward off wrinkles and keep their dewy glow - some techniques are stranger than others.
At the top of most people's anti-aging list are expensive face creams or supplements packed with collagen. As we age, our natural collagen production slows down. This leads to the visible signs of aging as skin loses its firmness and elasticity.
Looking for an alternative, people are turning to their attention to their diet in hopes of naturally producing more collagen.
While meat, citrus and whole grains are known to help boost collagen production, some folks have started to tout eating jellyfish as a way to plump the skin and give it a youthful glow.
Jellyfish
Jellyfish is a popular food in China, Japan, Korea, Thailand and Vietnam, where it is considered a delicacy.
The meat is typically salted and dried to preserve texture, then rehydrated before being eaten. It is often served cold in salads, seasoned with sesame oil, soy sauce, and vinegar, or sliced thinly and stir-fried.
The modern quest for youthful skin is more prominent than ever. And people are increasingly turning to unconventional beauty methods to ward off wrinkles (Stock image)
Now, the fish is getting international attention as people on social media hail its proposed anti-aging benefits.
'I have heard of people eating jellyfish as it is very rich in collagen and can help support your body’s collagen production,' Dr Raj Dasgupta, an internal medicine specialist, told the Daily Mail.
'Collagen helps keep your skin firm, smooth, and stretchy. As you get older, your body makes less of it, which can cause wrinkles and sagging.
'Eating foods or taking supplements with collagen may help your skin stay more hydrated and elastic, helping you look younger. It can also support healthy hair, nails and joints.'
Jellyfish can contain a significant amount of collagen, with some edible species reaching up to approximately 50 percent of their dry weight in the protein.
While collagen content varies by species and tissue, some jellyfish have a yield of 2.61 to 10.3mg of the protein per gram of wet tissue.
Eating collagen is often considered better than applying creams. This is because the large molecules in topical creams can't penetrate the skin's outer layer - a crucial stem needed to rebuild collagen - while ingesting allows it to be broken down into smaller amino acids that the body can use to build its own.
Jellyfish is also a much cheaper alternative to collagen creams, which can cost hundreds of dollars. But it is a niche product and can be difficult to find in many food stores.
A pre‑packaged chilled or frozen jellyfish salad (300g) sells for about $8 to $10 in the US, while raw jellyfish ranges from $2 to $8 per pound.
Executive Chef Zhan Chen from Potluck Club in New York loves the ingredient.
'Jellyfish was one of the first menu items I wanted to highlight because it's a tasty delicacy in Asian culture,' Chen told the Daily Mail.
'Jellyfish takes on the flavors of whatever you marinate it with and it's really a textural wonder. We serve it as a salad with a garlicky soy vinaigrette with lots of fresh cilantro, Chinese celery and scallion which pairs really well with the jellyfish."
Pig Feet
Dasgupta said there is another unusual, collagen-rich food that has come across his radar: pig feet.
Pig feet have long been popular in many parts of the world, including Asia, Europe and Latin America.
They can be prepared in various ways including boiled or braised for tenderness, deep-fried for a crispy finish or grilled.
At Le B, a fine-dining restaurant in New York, 'The Pig's Trotter' has become a popular menu item. Chef Angie Mar prepares the ingredient 'à la Koffmann' - in the style of the classic French dish featuring a delicately stuffed and braised foot, topped with a port-infused demi-glace.
TikTok user The Chinese Soup Lady, who describes herself as making 'traditional soups for the modern soup drinker,' said she loves making pig's trotter soup for its benefits.
'Pigs' feet [have] so much collagen. Just look at this soup post-overnight in the fridge,' she told followers, adding that the appendages contain 'a lot more skin, thick skin to be exact, connective tissues and joints' as opposed to other body parts.
Bone marrow (pictured above) and bone broths have become a big trend over recent years as people look for collagen-rich food sources
'I don't make the soup often because some people are, especially my kids, turned off a little bit by seeing the pig's feet, but now that they're older it's getting better and I don't show them. I just have them drink the soup and all is well.'
In the US, pig feet generally cost between $2 and $6 per pound and contain a whopping 20 to 25g of collagen protein per 100g of feet.
Bone Marrow and Broth
Lastly, Dasgupta told Daily Mail bone marrow and bone broths have become popular in the search for youthful skin.
The Chinese Soup Lady (pictured above), who describes herself as making 'traditional soups for the modern soup drinker,' said she loves making pigs' feet soup for its collagen-boosting benefits
The broth is easy to prepare. Simply simmer bones (preferably roasted first for more flavor) with water, vegetables and a splash of vinegar for 12 to 24 hours before straining.
Store-bought bone broth is generally priced around $5 to $8 per quart, but making homemade versions can be more cost-effective, especially if you use leftover bones from your freezer.
Celebrities including Gwyneth Paltrow and Salma Hayek have long been singing the praises of this liquid, calling it a 'miracle elixir.'
'I make a bone broth that you can look up on the internet,' Salma Hayek told Extra in 2015 of her beauty secret.
'It's very good for all your health and it's full of collagen. When you drink it, it's like fat… I think people are afraid of fat, and fat is your friend.'
Meanwhile, Paltrow told Dr Will Cole on The Art of Being Well podcast in 2023 that she eats bone broth for lunch 'most days.'
And food experts have said the bone broth market is booming and projected to grow from $1.1 billion to 1.6 billion in 2024 and then $2.8 billion by 2034. They growth, they said, is driven by health and nutrition trends.
Similarly, the demand for collagen-rich bone marrow is also growing.
Gwyneth Paltrow (pictured) told Dr Will Cole on The Art of Being Well podcast in 2023 that she eats bone broth for lunch 'most days'
Marrow is the soft, fatty tissue found inside of bones. The marrow you'll find on a restaurant menu is typically from beef or veal, prized for its rich, buttery flavor.
Along with being used in soups and broths, the tissue from split bones can simply be eaten alone or spread on bread.
The Nation's Restaurant News reported in 2018 that more than half of surveyed consumers were familiar with bone marrow, and it had seen 'significant [restaurant] menu growth in the past four years' - and it continues to climb.
The cost of a bone marrow appetizer at a restaurant in the US generally ranges from $10 to $30, but to make it at home is very cheap. Bones typically cost just $5 to $15 per pound.
Matt Brown, who is the head chef at New York restaurant Hawksmoor, told the Daily Mail that bone marrow requires just seven to eight minutes in the oven on a moderate heat with some salt seasoning to finish.
'It is much better than butter, as it is good for you and full of flavor,' he said.
Dasgupta said that while all of these foods will help boost collagen, they 'won't erase wrinkles overnight.'
'Along with these foods, staying hydrated, using sunscreen and eating plenty of vitamin C-rich foods can all help keep your skin healthy.'
